HTC has today unveiled its new flagship smartphone for 2014, the new HTC One — previously known by the codename "M8". As we've been seeing in leaked images for the past several weeks, the new HTC One features a wraparound metal design, a 5-inch display and a dual rear camera setup. The phone comes in three colors at launch — gunmetal gray, glacial silver and amber gold — and thanks to its curved metal sides the chassis is now 90 percent metal versus the previous HTC One's 70 percent, HTC says.

Boomier BoomSound, a new depth-sensing camera and Zoe sharing features.

The phone features louder "BoomSound" front-facing speakers and an all-new "Duo Camera" setup for photography and video. The main camera is a 4-megapixel "Ultrapixel" unit with f/2.0 lens, while the secondary camera, located above it, is used for capturing depth information for use with the phone's advanced photo features. For example, you can refocus still images after shooting them, add 3D effects to pictures. As on the previous HTC One, you can also record "Zoe" animated shots and create automatic video highlight reels. 1080p HD video recording is supported, as is HDR video, and there's also a 5-megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) front facer. And launching soon, the new Zoe social app will allow you to share Zoes and photos — and remix your friends' highlight videos, too.

Snapdragon 801, 2GB of RAM and microSD expandability.

On the inside, the new HTC One is powered by a Snapdragon 801 processor — a 2.3GHz CPU in Europe and the U.S., while China and other parts of Asia will get a slightly faster 2.5GHz model. That's backed up by 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD slot supporting up to 128GB cards. There's a fixed 2,600mAh fixed battery, and HTC has introduced new battery optimizations including an extreme battery-saving mode which lets you disable all but a few basic apps.

The new HTC One is powered by Android 4.4.2 KitKat and HTC's Sense 6 software, an evolution of the design language and feature set HTC introduced with Sense 5 on the M7 a year ago. BlinkFeed still lies at the heart of the home screen experience, bringing news and social updates to your home screen, and it's been redesigned for a more visual browsing experience. Sense 6 also introduces new themes for HTC's UI, allowing users to control the color palettes used in apps such as BlinkFeed, Messaging and Gallery.

HTC introduces a long list of gesture-based features.

Another major Sense 6 feature is Motion Launch, which lets you perform a variety of tasks using gestures even when the phone's display is off. Like LG's KnockOn, you can double-tap the screen in portrait mode to wake it. And while in portrait orientation you can swipe up to unlock, right to launch BlinkFeed or left to bring up your regular home screen, even when the phone is asleep. Motion Launch also lets you press the volume key in landscape orientation to unlock and launch directly into the camera app.

As previously revealed by British retailer Carphone Warehouse, the new HTC One will be available to buy in some London stores on the day of announcement. We'll bring you more information on M8 pricing and availability as we get it. And keep it locked to Android Central for full coverage of HTC's latest in the next hour.

London, UK, 25th March 2014 – HTC, a global leader in innovation and design, today unveiled the highly anticipated new HTC One (M8), the ultimate evolution of the award-winning HTC One (M7). Launching in Gunmetal Gray1 with the all-new HTC SenseTM 6, the new HTC One (M8), boasts a high quality metal unibody with a Smart Sensor Hub that anticipates your needs and uses Motion LaunchTM controls to make everyday tasks easier. New Duo Camera technology delivers creative, professional-looking photos and amazing effects, and HTC BoomSoundTM again sets new standards for audio quality on a smartphone.

Peter Chou, CEO, HTC said: “In 2013 we introduced the best smartphone in the world, but we never stopped challenging ourselves and the status quo in this category. As pioneers in mobile innovation, we continue to design and build devices that will dazzle, inspire and transform the smartphone industry. Today I’m proud to launch the most stunning, intuitive and advanced handset that the industry has seen to date, the new HTC One (M8).”

Beautifully designed inside and out

Achieving another breakthrough in design and quality with the new HTC One (M8), the phone’s body has been re-crafted to create an even more stunning yet approachable look. The beautiful, durable, high quality metal unibody flows right up to the 5-inch, full HD (1080p) display, tapering to thinner edges, with softer curves for a smooth, more natural grip.
Supported by the QualcommTM Snapdragon® 801 processor with 2.3 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and fully integrated 4G LTE, and running Android 4.4, KitKat, the latest version of the Android OS, the new HTC One (M8) features the all-new HTC

SenseTM 6, available on the device and as an upgrade from the Google Play store2. Completely redesigned with a cleaner, more striking visual style, HTC SenseTM 6 features bold, customisable colour themes and delivers a more intuitive, personalised user experience. For those who prefer the stock Android experience, the HTC One (M8) Google Play edition will be available for pre-order from today and for purchase on the Google Play store in the coming weeks.

A leap forward in smartphone imaging

The new HTC One (M8) brings a totally different dimension to mobile imaging by combining the world’s first smartphone with a Duo Camera that features HTC’s innovative HTC UltraPixelTM module, a dual flash and full 1080p HD video recording, producing incredible images in all lighting conditions and rich, high-quality video. A 5- MP wide-angle front facing camera also captures superior selfies with ease.

The Duo Camera boasts a depth sensor in addition to the main HTC UltraPixelTM module, capturing detailed depth information from a scene and enabling a range of beautiful and creative effects that allow you to do more with your images than ever before.

Instantly create professional-looking portraits by altering the focus of your image after the photo has been taken with UFocusTM or make your subject stand out in a more surprising way by altering the background with creative effects using Foregrounder. You can also give your best shots a seasonal flavour using the Seasons animations. Copy & Paste3 lets you place your family and friends in a different photo entirely, while Dimension PlusTM presents a unique perspective on your photos by letting you view your image from a different angle by simply tilting the screen.

The advanced camera technology also works behind-the-scenes capturing images right from launch, so that when the shutter is activated, the sharpest possible image is instantly displayed. The camera autofocus operates at a speed of 300mseconds, producing beautifully crisp images of split-second action and when the flash is required, the intelligent LED Dual Flash automatically selects the exact colour tone and light intensity for more natural skin tones and a professional-looking shot.

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With so much scope to create exciting imagery, Gallery organisation has also been a priority for the designers of HTC SenseTM, who have introduced Image match, a visual search tool that intuitively moves all the photos containing a particular subject into one album.

Finally the new HTC One (M8) has also integrated Slow Motion mode, which lets you shoot HD slo-mo video and then edit that video so you can slow down the action at the part you want – perfect for adding drama or for highlighting a moment.

ZoeTM in the cloud

In 2014, ZoeTM will evolve into a cloud-based service. Upload Zoe Videos for all to see, and invite friends to add their own photos, videos and music to share incredible highlight reels of classic moments. The new Zoe app will be available for download through Google Play in the summer.

Motion LaunchTM – convenient gesture controlled shortcuts

With the introduction of HTC SenseTM 6, the new HTC One (M8) boasts capabilities that give the product a sixth sense. For example, Motion LaunchTM is immediately able to detect its position and movement, thanks to built-in motion sensors that allow you to interact with the phone without turning on the screen. A simple swipe will activate the device, Auto Answer allows you to answer a call by putting the phone to your ear without touching the screen – a handy tool if the phone rings when you are digging the garden or washing the dishes – and a double tap turns the lock screen on and off.

HTC Dot ViewTM case – protect your phone with retro flair

Taking that sixth sense functionality one step further you can extend Motion LaunchTM by double tapping the dot view case, in addition to checking the time, weather, new texts, emails and calls - without touching or revealing the screen.
An outstanding phone deserves a case that protects and extends its innovative design and industry-leading functionality. Optimised by HTC SenseTM 6, the new HTC Dot ViewTM phone case protects the screen, whilst displaying notifications and interactions in a retro, dot-matrix style.

Extreme Power Saving Mode – extra standby time at no extra cost

The innovation doesn’t end there, as we are also changing how people use their phone battery. With the original HTC One (M7), HTC optimised power consumption so that you could get the most out of your phone. The new HTC One (M8) takes this to a whole new level making the battery power last 40% longer. Whilst normal power saving mode delivers a great experience, we have also included an Extreme power saving mode that makes your battery last even longer. Fully charged it will deliver 14 days’ worth of battery power, whilst still allowing you to receive calls, texts and emails – perfect for when you are travelling. Activated either manually or automatically, it delivers 60 hours of extra standby time at 20% power, 30 hours at 10% power and 15 hours at 5% power so, whether you are out late at night or hiking in the mountains, you never have to worry about running out of battery again.

HTC BoomSoundTM gets bigger

The new HTC One (M8) again takes the smartphone audio experience to new heights. The latest HTC BoomSoundTM technology creates an immersive, powerful, crystal-clear sound with rich tones from bass through to treble. Delivering sound that is 25% louder than the HTC One (M7), without compromising quality, the new HTC One (M8) has dual frontal stereo speakers with a new amplifier, redesigned speaker chambers and a tailored audio profile for a truly high definition experience.

HTC BlinkFeedTM – Your news direct to your home screen

HTC BlinkFeedTM is now more intuitive, with continuous scrolling for a fluid browsing experience, adaptable tiles and a new layout that presents articles in a clean, easy- to-read way. With the introduction of a new SDK that allows partners to integrate their own content, users can more easily find and subscribe to new media sources, in addition to instantly creating custom feeds on any topic. So whether you are into sports, movies or shopping, this feature ensures that that you will get the information most relevant to you. With News Bundles that bring all articles and tweets on the same topic together for easy reading and over 1000+ content partners now clearly categorised on one page, following the most interesting news couldn’t be simpler4.

Fitness at a glance

With the new HTC One (M8), you can get healthier and stay motivated by combining its power-saving sensor hub with the preloaded Fitbit® app.5 Alternatively, use the phone in conjunction with one of Fitbit’s range of trackers6 to access advanced features such as sleep tracking and smart alarm or to capture data when exercising without your phone. Set your fitness goals and see your achievements brought straight to your HTC BlinkFeedTM home screen with no additional effort. Fitbit is the top downloaded app for connected fitness devices on the Google Play store.

HTC SenseTM TV

The only remote you need on the new HTC One (M8) has been redesigned to provide an interactive second screen. You can follow the conversation about the programme online with integrated official Facebook and Twitter streams along with all the latest fan commentary from your social circles. HTC SenseTM TV now also brings live sports statistics for the 10 most popular sports in the world, with sports fans now able to access the latest scores, match statistics and live updates from unmissable games while they watch another game on the main TV screen.

Ranging

The new HTC One (M8) will be ranged with over 230 operators across the globe:

1 Other available colours at launch are Glacial Silver and Amber Gold
2 Certain SenseTM 6 experiences will be made available via an upgrade on the Google Play store in the coming weeks
3 The Copy and Paste feature will be available to download from the Google Play Store soon
4 Following its popularity with HTC users, HTC will now make HTC BlinkFeed available to other Android devices, launching on the Google Play store soon.
5 The Fitbit app is only pre-loaded in certain countries. Please speak to the local market for verification. It is available to download from the Google Play store and tracks your steps / monitors your activity
6 Sold separately

There are a few technical aspects of this phone which are not attractive to me; but HTC clearly demonstrate just how good Android hardware could look. I would really welcome speakers of this quality on my phone. Samsung and even LG should really learn from this design in terms of finish and materials. Many also feel that Sense 6 is a far better "Skin" than Samsung have produced (I have a Note 3 and used a GS2 before that).

Not really sure this is a 'step up'... I liked the older unibody much better than this one. I can't help but to think of an iPhone 3 when I see the 'new' One :(

I guess I'll have to see it in person, but so far, it looks like I won't be upgrading this year. Galaxy S5, no thank you. HTC new One, nope. Apple, your move. (Or a Note 4 that rocks my world would be nice, too :P)

Same camera as HTC one? ugh WHY HTC WHY? You almost had a sale until I read that....
I'll have to wait until I see reviews from actual users and see what they think of the camera after the new car smell wears off and people are honest instead of defending their purchase.

Boom. Exact same thing here. I like the ultra pixel idea but damn that 4 megapixel is a bitch. I still may consider it depending on how reviews go but boy is that disappointing. And so is the battery too a bit.

The CPu and Ram for 2014 are fine.. But, Style is holding back advancement in battery technology.. I get the "Ultra Saving Mode", but raw capacity is grinding to a halt for the sake of style.. not good in units that cost $650 - $700.00 and have non-removable batteries. IMO this is still the most Beautifully Designed Phone on the planet.. but way beyond what I would spend for a telephone. And why not a Black and Red model on release day? and a GPE for that matter?

Agreed as well.
understand the battery saving mode, but I just want to have access to all apps longer.
Just dont think I can make the switch yet. I guess I will wait and see about the Note 4, or something else.

How do images look when you zoom in on them after the fact? We need to see side-by-side comparisons with the iPhones 8MP cameras and the Galaxy S5's 16MP camera. Because camera is pretty much the deciding factor for me, since everything else is on par with the competition.

Yup. That's what my problem was with the One. I'm sorely disappointed by this one thing. The rest of it sound damn amazing. Even the SD card is a nice addition. But that freaking camera! It is nice to zoom in every once in a blue moon!

Agreed...4mp seems kinda light, but need to see sample photos from a final production model. Camera is really important to me. And I am torn between GS5 and this as of now... Looking forward to some hands on video's and sample photos.

Same camera spec and techonoly. only change is the chipset that fix some of the over exposure and white balance. As a original One owner the 4mp lacks sharpness and shows too much noise. These flaws continues to show in the New One.